Monthly Archives: October 2008

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6: Luxury Car Comparison – Bull’s-Eye, Baby

Once upon a time, a Japanese giant pulled a bit of a sneaky move on the established German luxury-car market. Known best for its inexpensive, reliable economy cars, Toyota launched the 1990 Lexus LS400 – a big, rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered luxury car. The LS was to compete with the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz S-class, but it cost little more than the entry-level 190E. The Germans laughed (and laughed, and laughed), but it was the Japanese who laughed last. The LS400 was, in fact, a worthy rival to the S-class, and to remain competitive over the next decade and a half, Mercedes would slash the price of its S-class by almost twenty percent.

Now that Lexus’s prices have crept up into Mercedes territory, Hyundai’s pulling the same move. Just like the Japanese company did nineteen years ago, the Korean automaker has gathered a bunch of heavy-hitters, put them in a blender, and frapped together a car that competes with all of them in one way or another. The new Genesis is almost as big as the luxurious Lexus LS460, can run with the sporty GS460, and is priced like the compact IS350. Or so says Hyundai. This time, no one’s laughing. We chose the top-of-the-line Genesis to see how it compares with some of the V-8-powered, rear-wheel-drive cars it copies.

In the German corner, we have the Mercedes-Benz E550, an old-school poster child for upright, refined Teutonic virtues. Fighting for the Japanese is the Lexus GS460, which received the LS460’s larger V-8 and eight-speed automatic transmission for 2008. And because it’s new, gorgeous, and priced similarly, we included the very English Jaguar XF in the mix. Lest you think the bargain-basement Hyundai is going to embarrass itself, keep in mind that when we pitted the Lexus LS400 against the European establishment back in 1989, it won outright.

When you line up these four sedans, the first thing you notice is that the Mercedes, the Lexus, and the Jaguar each look like nothing else on the road, and the Hyundai looks like everything else. The Genesis is such a hodgepodge of shoplifted design cues that it resembles one of the nondescript, digitally rendered cars in an insurance advertisement, an impression not helped by the badgeless grille. Other than that homely schnoz, though, nothing about the Genesis’s appearance looks cheap – our test car’s metallic red paint is deep and lustrous, its panel gaps are the same as (or smaller than) all of the other cars here, and the overall proportions create a substantial stance. Even the LED taillights and the intricate headlights look expensive.

Don’t look too closely at the Jaguar’s awkward headlights, or you’ll forget to notice how gorgeous the rest of the car is. In contrast to the derivative Hyundai, the all-business Mercedes, and the introverted Lexus, the Jaguar is an epiphany of design. Every cutline, every detail, and every bulge is a triumphant piece of jewelry – and the longer you stare at it, the more you notice. Your eyes can fully digest the Mercedes in eight seconds, but it takes hours to truly appreciate the Jaguar’s complex shape.

The Jaguar also has the most modern-looking interior, although it borders on kitschy, with rotating vents and a circular gear selector that rises slowly from the center console as the engine is started. At night, the dash illuminates in blue, with thin lines that remind us of the science-fiction movie Tron. Looking at – not touching – the Jaguar’s interior is the best way to enjoy it, as the materials don’t feel quite as nice as they appear. And the entire interior tends to creak and rattle while driving.

This isn’t true for the Hyundai’s rock-solid interior, which is the richest of the group both in appearance and feel. Its swooping, two-tone, leather-covered dashboard mimics that of an S-class and is refreshingly clean and uncluttered. Its perforated leather seats are the warmest (visually – the seat cooler on the driver’s seat will render your unmentionables frostbitten) and most inviting of the group, and the wood steering-wheel rim looks as though it were lifted straight out of a posh LS460. With the key comfortably in your pocket, press the START button, and the Hyundai’s white-on-black gauges perform the same startup ritual we’ve become accustomed to in every Lexus, with luminescent needles glowing brightly as the numeric markings gradually become visible. Actually, the entire experience from behind the wheel of the Genesis leads you to believe you’re in a Lexus.

The particular Lexus in this test, however, offers a more athletic-looking interior than the others. The GS460 has brushed-metal gauge faces and a three-spoke steering wheel that work in concert with a louder, if occasionally boomy, exhaust note to give a sporty impression. Our test car’s monochromatic interior left us a little cold, though, and the LED cabin lighting must have been designed by a photophobic migraine sufferer – open the doors at night, and the interior is illuminated with all the lumens of a sickly glowworm.

There are no LED gimmicks in the E550, and a quick look around the Benz’s cabin will remind you that the traditional German concept of luxury comes from engineering excellence and attention to mechanical detail – not pillowy softness. For example, the perfectly machined door latches are practically works of art, yet your right elbow will become bruised by the rock-hard wood center console. In addition, the E550’s infotainment system looks and feels like an old Tandy computer compared with the others’ colorful and interactive screens.

On the road, though, the Mercedes feels as if it weighs six tons, isolating you so completely from the harsh unpleasantries of planet earth that you imagine every airspace under the dash, in the doors, and in the roof must be filled with sound- and shock-absorbing maple syrup. The E550’s controls have a fluidity of motion and dampened responses that no other car here can match. By comparison, the Lexus and the Jaguar feel like they’re made of harsh, unyielding Styrofoam. The Mercedes’ upright, conservative shape delivers the best view out, the most comfortable back seats, and the most usable trunk. And yet when you floor the accelerator, the E550 leans back on its haunches and explodes forward like a muscle car. Its 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8 is the largest and most powerful of our quartet, producing significantly more low-end torque than any of the other V-8s. It’s brutally fast off the line, but it’s the unrelenting acceleration at highway speeds (and double them) that serves as a clear reminder that the E-class is very much engineered to run flat-out on the autobahn.

The only engine that sounds better than the E550’s is the XF’s. At 4.2 liters, it’s the smallest and least powerful, yet it’s forced to cart around a heavy car. It’s also quite soft at low rpm, which means that the transmission needs to downshift frequently to keep up with traffic, but that’s a good thing, acoustically. Jaguar’s engineers have muted much of the V-8’s volume without diluting any of its fury. It may be the slowest of the four in a straight line, but it sounds wonderful while trying to keep up, and thanks to agile moves in the corners, it’s easily the fastest on back roads.

There wasn’t as much praise for the Lexus. Hampered by electronic brakes that are frustratingly difficult to modulate, electrically assisted power steering that offers almost no feedback, and electronically adjustable dampers that effectively control body motions at the price of ride comfort, the GS460 was our least favorite to drive. We’ve always wished that the GS would drive like a small luxury car – a miniature LS, if you will – soft, supple, and quiet. Instead, it seems as if Lexus engineers added contrived sportiness by dialing in arbitrary harshness without improving driver involvement. The GS is a very fast and very capable machine, but it’s too compromised to be either a driver’s car or a luxury sedan.

The Hyundai, on the other hand, doesn’t even bother pretending to play sports car, and it drives around town in exactly the manner we think the GS should. Like the Jag, the Genesis uses a ZF six-speed automatic, but in the Hyundai, the transmission shifts like a Lexus – slowly and deliberately. Hyundai’s new V-8 produces almost as many ponies as the Mercedes mill, and in a straight line, the Genesis feels almost as fast. On glass-smooth on-ramps, the big Hyundai takes a deliberate, slightly tail-out set, thanks in part to an enormous rear antiroll bar.

But add a few bumps, and the Genesis takes a turn for the worse. Unlike any of the other sedans, the Hyundai falls completely to pieces on twisty, bumpy back roads. Push it hard, and pavement irregularities send the Genesis heaving and wallowing down the road with the traction control light flashing and the steering wheel shuddering. When you’re hustling with a car full of passengers, its soft rear suspension crashes onto its bump stops over moderately rough roads.

Then again, we can’t imagine Genesis drivers taking their cars on many back-road blasts. At everyday driving speeds, the Hyundai’s only real flaw is a slightly busy ride, and for that we can probably blame the same big antiroll bars that help it corner neutrally. Otherwise, it’s a superb daily driver. It has by far the biggest rear seat, the most interior room, and the best stereo – a seventeen-speaker, 528-watt Lexicon system that is one of the automotive world’s very best. Its high-resolution LCD navigation screen is among the clearest we’ve laid our eyes upon, and the console-mounted controller is easier to use than any other system – touch-screen, controller, or otherwise. The iPod and Bluetooth telephone integration are flawless, the dashboard illumination is perfectly color-coordinated, and the climate-control system operates in virtual silence. The Genesis, like almost all luxury cars these days, also has keyless go, swiveling HID headlights, a reverse camera, turn signals in the mirrors, and automatically dimming rear- and sideview mirrors.

Lexus figured out long ago that most American drivers don’t care much about twisty-road performance in their everyday sedans; it’s the luxury features that people want. Hyundai has obviously come to the same conclusion, and as a luxury car in the grand American tradition of luxury cars – plush, quiet, relatively inexpensive cruisers with loads of space, a big V-8, and all the gadgets to impress the neighbors – the Genesis wins this comparison hands down. But if you’re looking for a car that you can drive with enthusiasm, you’ll need to shell out some more money to get the real thing from Germany or England.

2009 HYUNDAI GENESIS 4.6
Price (base/as tested) $38,000/$42,000

Powertrain
engine DOHC 32-valve V-8
displacement 4.6 liters (282 cu in)
horsepower 375 hp @ 6500 rpm
torque 333 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
transmission type 6-speed automatic
drive Rear-wheel

Chassis
steering Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
suspension, front Control arms, coil springs
suspension, rear Multilink, coil springs
brakes F/R Vented discs/discs, ABS
tires Dunlop SP Sport 5000m
tire size 235/50VR-18
Measurements
L x W x H 195.9 x 74.4 x 58.3 in
wheelbase 115.6 in
track f/r 63.1/63.8 in
weight 4080 lb
city MPG 17
HWY MPG 25

2009 JAGUAR XF
Price (base/as tested) $49,975/$63,125

Powertrain
engine DOHC 32-valve V-8
displacement 4.2 liters (256 cu in)
horsepower 300 hp @ 6000 rpm
torque 310 lb-ft @ 4100 rpm
transmission type 6-speed automatic
drive Rear-wheel
Chassis
steering Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
suspension, front Control arms, coil springs
suspension, rear Control arms, coil springs
brakes Vented discs, ABS
tires Dunlop SP Sport Maxx
tire size 235/35YR-20
Measurements
L x W x H 195.3 x 73.9 x 57.5 in
wheelbase 114.5 in
track f/r 61.4/63.2 in
weight 4080 lb
city MPG 16
HWY MPG 25

2008 LEXUS GS460
Price (base/as tested) $53,385/$59,318

Powertrain
engine DOHC 32-valve V-8
displacement 4.6 liters (281 cu in)
horsepower 342 hp @ 6200 rpm
torque 339 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
transmission type 8-speed automatic
drive Rear-wheel
Chassis
steering Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
suspension, front Control arms, coil springs
suspension, rear Multilink, coil springs
brakes Vented discs, ABS
tires Dunlop SP Sport 5000m DSST
tire size 245/40VR-18
Measurements
L x W x H 190.0 x 71.7 x 56.1 in
wheelbase 112.2 in
track f/r 60.4/60.6 in
weight 3960 lb
city MPG 17
HWY MPG 24

2008 MERCEDES-BENZ E550
Price (base/as tested) $60,175/$63,970

Powertrain
engine DOHC 32-valve V-8
displacement 5.5 liters (333 cu in)
horsepower 382 hp @ 6000 rpm
torque 391 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm
transmission type 7-speed automatic
drive Rear-wheel
Chassis
steering Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
suspension, front Multilink, air springs
suspension, rear Multilink, air springs
brakes Vented discs, ABS
tires Continental ContiProContact
tire size f, r 245/40VR-18, 265/35VR-18
Measurements
L x W x H 191.0 x 71.7 x 58.4 in
wheelbase 112.4 in
track f/r 62.1/61.9 in
weight 4020 lb
city MPG 15
HWY MPG 22

By Jason Cammisa

First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring

Two weeks ago I got the chance to drive an early version of the Elantra Touring due out later this year. I was impressed with the little wagon as were others on our staff like Bill Jackson, our resident Weekend Athlete. We’ll be posting a video with his thoughts on this car in the near future, but for my initial impressions and a photo gallery keep reading.

I enjoyed driving this economy car a lot more than I thought I would. Besides a lot of buzzy engine noise – it’s amazing how you rarely hear buzzy engines anymore – the little wagon did everything right. The ride was comfortable, and there wasn’t a lot of road noise. The manual transmission was a joy with light clutch feel and smooth shifter.

As a package, the Touring seemed a bit nicer inside than the Elantra sedan. The backseats folded flat with one button, and there was a lot of cargo room. But I was shocked by the starting price of nearly $18,000 for a manual transmission. Although Hyundai hasn’t announced its official pricing yet, there was a sticker inside our test car, so I assume the price is accurate.

While the Elantra Touring is a nifty economy wagon, the Scion xB offers more utility and style, the Pontiac Vibe is more fun to drive, and a base Subaru Impreza gives you all-wheel drive. And all can be had for a similar price. Economy car indeed.

US News & World Report: Hyundai Genesis Coupe First Test

Hyundai’s Genesis sedan has been a critical success in the United States (though a V8-powered rear-wheel drive luxury sedan may not be a sales success in the current economic climate). But there’s another Genesis on the way, which has little in common with that car. The automotive press is just beginning to get its hands on the upcoming Genesis Coupe, and so far, the impression is equally good…maybe better.

The Genesis Coupe is a sporty two-door “Mustang-fighter,” to be offered in the U.S. for the 2010 model year. It will be available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine making 223 horsepower, or a 3.8-liter V6 making 310 HP. Jalopnik notes that “Hyundai is promising that this will be the cheapest 300+ HP coupe in the world.”

Car Middle East magazine got the first chance to drive it. Testing a V6 edition equipped with an automatic transmission that can be shifted manually, they report, “For real sports car fun at rock-bottom prices, you can’t do much better.” They add, “Volkswagen and Toyota won’t be worrying about the Korean’s quality levels yet. But this is a car that isn’t just about functionality. It has soul to it, emotion — something we haven’t really seen from Korea before.”

According to Autoblog, the tested car “sprinted to 62 in 5.9-seconds,” and offered “more torsional rigidity than the E46 BMW M3.” They add, “The list of gripes is brief, including steering that’s a bit too light for the tester’s taste, some less-than-savory plastics, the lack of paddle shifters on the steering wheel and compromised trunk space on account of the hatch’s odd shape.”

U.S. News & World Report

Gary Rome, Sox, Pats help us cope

The world is an awful place these days. Wars, economies crashing and people generally not doing well. There are people who do help us get by. Gary Rome is one of those people.

He backs the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots no matter what.

I think he should be publicly acknowledged and thanked for his efforts. Who knows, without his posters taped to our windows, Jason Bay might not have found his way home.

Thanks Gary Rome.
JOHN DEGUTIS
Chicopee

Launch Party: 2009 Hyundai Genesis

If you ever wanted to know what three quarters of a billion dollars looks like, take a gander at the 2009 Hyundai Genesis.

That’s how much the Korean automaker spent developing its first luxury car for the American market, and it can be yours for the low, low price of $33,000.

If that sounds like a lot to you for a Hyundai, join the club. The perennial value brand has its work cut out for it convincing buyers that it can seriously be considered an alternative to the luxury offerings from Japan and Germany, not to mention Detroit, even at a bargain price.

After spending a day driving several models of the car on the winding roads paralleling the Hudson River in New York City’s northern suburbs, I’ll venture to guess that getting high-end shoppers in the doors of its dealerships will be the second hardest challenge Hyundai has ahead of it.

Keeping the Genesis in stock will be the really tough part.

At the press drive introduction, Hyundai made no excuses for the Genesis, nor did they need to. Unlike some past offerings from the brand, there is very little “you get what you pay for” about the car. It is just plain good.

The Genesis is a large vehicle, with exterior dimensions that fall between most mid- and full-size sedans. Considering it’s priced like a compact, that’s an achievement unto itself. The exterior – an amalgam of Mercedes, Lexus and BMW themes – breaks no new ground, but there is also nothing about it that is wrong. The design is clean and well-proportioned without any notable missteps, which is more than many of the cars it will compete against it can say.

The grille was the last feature finalized, and what Hyundai went with kind of looks like a barista drew an S-Class grille with chocolate sauce on the top of a cappuccino, then ran a coffee stirrer down the center.

The only thing missing is a Hyundai logo, but that is intentional. The company is trying to establish Genesis as a sort of pseudo-luxury brand without going to the trouble and expense of starting a separate sales channel like the Japanese did with Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. It probably isn’t special enough to hang all of that on to it, but it will do the trick for now, and is definitely more attractive than your standard Hyundai front end.

One of those fancy proximity keys unlocks the door as you approach, and there’s a button on the dash to start the engine with. Genesis is available with either V-6 or a V-8, and you won’t find yourself wanting much with either. The six cylinder churns 290 horsepower through the rear wheels and manages 27 mpg on the highway, which is very good for a car of this size with that much power. Give the gas pedal a nice prod and you’ll feel a strong shove into the seat.

Do that with the eight cylinder and you might end up in the back row. The 375 horsepower is all you need to know about it, but a 25 mpg highway rating is a nice surprise, and as much as you’ll find in just about any car it competes with. Starting price for a Genesis with the big motor is just $38,000.

Always watching out for your bottom line, Hyundai makes a point to tell you that while premium gasoline is recommended for the V-8, it’ll run just fine on regular. In fact, they are the only automaker I know that gives you the horsepower rating for the lesser grade fuel, and at 368 horsepower, you might as well save the money.

Underway you’ll notice something is missing that is found in most of its sister products. Noise. Hyundai says the Genesis is as quiet as a BMW 750i or Lexus LS460, automobiles that cost twice as much. I can’t vouch for that claim, but it is astonishingly quiet inside. Even under full throttle you hear little more than a murmur from the engine bay, virtually no tire roar and just a whisper of wind through the laminated glass.

Hyundai showed us diagrams of all the sound insulation it stuffed into the car, and I doubt that Bob Villa could have done more with your chilly garage.

The interior of the Genesis is anything but cold, with leather that could be straight from an Infiniti, and lots of glossy real wood that looks the part. There’s some plastic and vinyl, but it’s all soft to the touch, even the stuff way down low on the transmission tunnel, where it’s easy to cheap out with the hard stuff.

The seats are more comfortable than sporting, and a little too flat when the roads start to turn. A shame because with a suspension that automatically adapts to the way you drive, the car can put on a pretty good show, even if it doesn’t go out of its way to encourage that kind of driving.

The shape of the dashboard is Mercedes channeled through Lexus, with a big bulge in the center that houses the multimedia system. On V-8 models, you can opt for a technology package that has navigation with live traffic and a 17-speaker stereo designed by Lexicon, the same company that provides the audio setup for the Rolls Royce Phantom.

With 7.1 surround sound, it is as good as any, and much better than even the 14-speaker system that is also available. You can control most of the functions with a console mounted dial, but there are auxiliary controls scattered about for more immediate adjustments like volume.

The screen is a good size, with up to date graphics, but its a little high on the dashboard and not shaded well, the top half of it often disappearing in direct sunlight just as you are approaching the next right turn.

If it weren’t for the humdrum instrument panel and a steering wheel with too many large square buttons on it, from the driver’s seat you’d have a hard time telling the difference between the Genesis and a dozen cars that cost much more than it does. There’s also a lot of room: as much interior space as a Mercedes S-Class. Much of that must go to headroom, though, because space for legs doesn’t quite top the charts.

That’s not to say back seat passengers will complain. I was easily able to fit behind the driver’s seat, even with it adjusted to fit my 6-foot-1 frame. Unfortunately the cars that Hyundai benchmarked for rear seat comfort don’t seem to have considered hydration very important. The only two cupholders are in the fold-down armrest, which means if three people are back there, they will all need free hands for their Diet Cokes. A lot of carmakers are guilty of this oversight, but that doesn’t mean Hyundai gets a pass.

It doesn’t need one on fit and finish. All of the parts go together like a jigsaw puzzle, with every line and seam matching up perfectly, and there wasn’t a rattle or hum to be heard in any of the cars that I drove. Cruising through the ritzy towns that straddle Route 9 through Westchester County, I felt right at home, and didn’t want for anything.

Sure, if a BMW M5 came along I’d be toast, but only if I were foolish enough to engage him in battle. According to Hyundai, Genesis buyers are mostly male, mostly married, with a little less than half making more than $100,000. These are not hoons looking for trouble. They are people who used to own Sonatas and Azeras. If they were interested in 0 to 60 mph times, they would’ve been driving a different brand and would have never checked out the Genesis in the first place.

Hyundai should have little trouble finding the 20,000 or so of these buyers they’re figuring on for the first year, though they are ready to build a lot more than that if needed.

Give them credit for not getting ahead of themselves, but they may want to think about adding a few shifts at the plant.

FOX Car Report does not accept travel and lodging consideration when attending manufacturer sponsored events.

2009 HYUNDAI GENESIS

Base Price: $33,000 (V-6)/$38,000 (V-8)

Type: Front-engine, rear-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

Engine: 3.8L V-6/4.6L V-8

Power: 290 hp, 268 lb-ft torque/375 hp, 333 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

MPG: 27/18 (V-6) 25/17 (V-8)

By Gary Gastelu

Hyundai Sonata’s value quotient is impressive

The fight to achieve parity in the fiercely competitive automotive industry has not been an easy one for Korean manufacturer Hyundai.

But the company has slowly and steadily risen from the ashes of the Hyundai Excel, an inexpensive compact that marked the company’s first entry into the United States back in 1985.

The Excel initially received an enthusiastic reception among Americans, but buyers soured on it and the entire Hyundai brand after it turned out that cheap and cheaply made were pretty much the same thing.

Persistence, a significant improvement in product and an industry-leading warranty eventually turned buyers’ heads back in the company’s direction and today Hyundai automobiles enjoy favorable comparisons with the acknowledged industry leaders in a number of market segments.

One of the toughest is the mid-size family sedan market, a segment in which most manufacturers have an entry and Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Honda have been the leaders for a long time.

Hyundai’s entry is the Sonata. The fourth generation model of the front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan was introduced as a 2006 model. For 2009, the Sonata has been given a rather comprehensive freshening, although you would never know it just to watch one pass by.

That’s because exterior changes are minor, consisting mainly of a new front grille, revised bumpers, headlights, taillights and moldings. In addition seven new colors and alloy wheels have been added to the mix.

The heavy lifting was done under the hood and in the passenger cabin, two areas that were in need of upgrading for Hyundai to keep its nose on the tail of the Japanese front-runners.

The base 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine gets variable valve timing and a power boost from 162 to 175 horsepower. Torque increases from 164 pound-feet to 168. In addition, the automatic transmission is upgraded to five speeds, from four, and accounts for a one-mile-a-gallon increase in fuel mileage to an EPA-rated 22 city/ 32 highway. A five-speed manual shifter is still available for the do-it-yourself types.

The 3.3-liter V-6 engine is rated at 249 horsepower, up from 234. Torque is up three pound-feet, to 229. The engine of choice for about 30 percent of Sonata buyers, it falls 19 horsepower short of the leaders, but is about equal in fuel efficiency with a rating of 19 mpg city/29 highway. A five-speed automatic is the only transmission available with this engine.

Upgrades to the independent suspension improve handling in the entry-level GSL and Limited models, but they still don’t move the Sonata into sporty territory. A third model, the SE, gets even more serious suspension tuning, but I did not have an opportunity to sample it.

Inside, where 121.7 cubic feet of space make it the roomiest sedan in its class, the Sonata has been given a complete makeover.

Trim and fabric materials have been significantly upgraded, the front bucket seats have been improved for additional support and comfort, the center console has been modernized to make room for a touch-screen navigation system and the instrument panel has been revised. In addition, there is Ipod and USB connectivity.

I spent limited time in a V-6-powered Sonata and a whole week with a four-cylinder model. In both cases, the extra power was much appreciated, and made both cars more enjoyable to drive. In the four-cylinder car, I averaged between 18 and 28 miles per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline.

Still, despite the suspension and engine improvements, the mainstream Sonatas have a workman-like demeanor that is devoid of any sporting pretensions.

Family and friends will enjoy the comfortable and compliant ride, but the pilot will find nothing to encourage spirited driving.

More important to the family-transportation mission, all Sonatas come with a comprehensive list of standard safety equipment that includes electronic stability control, active front head restraints, side-curtain airbags and four-wheel disc brakes with emergency-stop assist and electronic brake force distribution.

Perhaps the Sonata’s biggest attraction is its value quotient, which puts it several thousand dollars below of much of the competition. Prices start at $18,700 for a GLS with manual transmission, cruise control, air conditioning, six-speaker am/fm/cd/MP3 sound system and power windows, locks and heated mirrors.

The top-of-the-line Limited with V-6 engine and automatic transmission carries a $26,345 sticker price and adds luxury touches such as leather upholstery, trip computer, upgraded sound system, sunroof and 17-inch wheels.

The navigation system, available only on the Limited, costs an extra $1,250.

The Hyundai Sonata may not have the sporty attributes of a Honda Accord or a Nissan Altima, but it is a solid sedan at an attractive price.

In these days of economic uncertainty and high gas prices, that’s a pretty powerful combination.

Nick Yost SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Complex.com: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Sedan Test Drive

While you were out jockin’ M-B’s, Lexus’s and BMW’s, a little Korean company called Hyundai was creepin’ on the come up. Bet you didn’t know they’re now the 7th best selling automotive brand in the U.S., did you? Turns out a lot of Americans love low priced cars–who knew?

To celebrate, the company best known for econo-boxes is looking to go head to head with the big boys by introducing their new rear-wheel drive Genesis platform. Their first Genesis offering touching down in the states will be the amazingly priced 4.6 and 3.8 Sedan, followed later by the coupe. Hyundai threw Complex the keys and we took this recession special for a ride. Read the full review and check out a gallery below.

PRICE: $37,250

SPECS:
Engine: 375hp, 4.6L V8
MPG: 17 city/25 mpg

RIDE: Hyundai may bill the Genesis as a luxury sport sedan, but once behind the wheel there wasn’t much sportiness to be found. Although the peppy V8 made it easy to go up against any other big body sedan on the road not rocking an “AMG” or “M” badge, whipping it through corners wasn’t very confidence inspiring. The steering was a little unresponsive and numb. But that’s not what the Genesis was made for. If you wanna get your Nurburg’ on, get a sports car. The Genesis aspires to be more luxe than sport. Cruising at any speed feels like you’re floating. Hop in the back and you might think you were in something with a six figure price tag. All that’s missing are curtains. And the Cristal.

INTERIOR: Sleek and sophisticated. Hyundai realized the real indicator of a luxury car is the interior and made sure to pay extra attention to detail, and for the most part they succeeded in providing a high class experience. The leather and wood grain that wrap the steering wheel and dash felt as high grade as any other luxury brand. But the aluminum looking panel around the shifter and entertainment system felt cheap, and an analog clock would have been a better fit than the bargain basement digital joint they put in there.

AUDIO: Our model had the Technology package with a 40 gig hard drive, navigation system, and the Lexicon surround system with 17 speakers and 11 channel digital external amplifier, that knocked pretty well. A little more bass would have been perfect. The iDrive-esque controller worked well too. The tech package is well-rounded and you don’t need to study the instruction manual to use it.

WHIP APPEAL: Take the Hyundai badges off of this and it could be anything from a Lexus to a Mercedes. We’d rather push this than a Chrysler 300 or even a BMW 3 series. Driving it around, you definitely don’t feel like you’re in a Hyundai, and most people on the street didn’t know it either until they get closer.

ONE MORE THING: Of course, for the low-low price tag, somethings are missing. While most luxury brands are implementing next generation safety features, Hyundai just rocks with traction control. The heated and cooled seats are pretty dope and lets not forget Hyundai’s 10 year/100,000 warranty.

SUMMARY: The Genesis accomplishes a lot with a little. There are some hiccups, but for those looking for an entry luxury car, this is it. Rear wheel drive, luxe interior, powerful engine, good looks. It’s all there.

RATING: 4/5

Source: Complex.com

2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 – Road Test

New cover, familiar text: The new book of Genesis: Not exactly a page turner, but lots of content.

Before we buckle up, we must first invoke a temporary vocabulary-restraining order: At no time will the term luxury sports sedan be used to describe this car. At least not by us. Luxury, yes, and sedan, obviously. But sports, nope, sorry, we’re putting that appellation on hold.

If you’ve already checked the specifications, you may wonder why we post the proviso. The Genesis looks pretty formidable on paper, particularly with the optional 4.6-liter V-8 engine, and a lot of people in the Hyundai organization think their new car measures up pretty well against sporting stalwarts from BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. A clue to their conviction can be seen in the Genesis promotional literature, which is sprinkled with “sports sedan” references.

There’s no question that, in general, Hyundai’s development team checked the right boxes for their ambitious leap to this high-stakes, high-profit game. However, this isn’t really a huge surprise because, after all, they had a script, written by Toyota for the development of the 1989 Lexus LS400. So the formula is one that’s now familiar: respectable performance, decent quality, and lots of features wrapped in attractive sheetmetal at an even more attractive price.

That last–pricing–has been the key to Hyundai’s remarkable progress since it made its first appearance in the U.S. market in 1985 with the Excel, which was loosely related to the Mitsubishi Mirage and also sold as the Mitsubishi Precis. With a 0-to-60-mph time of 16.3 seconds, our test crew called the Excel “faster than speeding molasses,” [C/D, March 1986]. But thanks to lower Korean labor costs, Hyundai was able to price the Excel considerably below competing small cars.

The Genesis, obviously, shares only a brand name with that primitive ’80s Excel, but the marketing theory is similar. Pricing for this new luxo four-door starts at $33,000, including the $750 destination charge. That’s for the 290-hp, 3.8-liter V-6 version. The 375-hp, 4.6-liter V-8 adds $5000 to the base price–$58.82 per pony. Not all that much, really, when you consider the cars with V-8 power that Hyundai seeks to usurp. The base price for a BMW 550i is $59,625, and the least expensive 5-series, the 528i, starts at $45,425.

Others: Audi A6 4.2, from $57,075; Infiniti M45, from $51,065; Lexus GS460, from $53,785; Mercedes E550, from $60,575. (We should add that with the exception of the Genesis, these are 2008 prices.)

Here’s what you get for your 38-grand base price. In addition to the V-8 and ZF six-speed automatic (the 3.8-liter V-6 is mated to an Aisin B600 six-speed auto), the luxury inventory includes a power tilt/slide sunroof; two-tone leather upholstery and upper dash, stylishly stitched; tasteful wood trim; heated power front seats; a 15-speaker sound system; electroluminescent instruments; Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity; dual-zone automatic climate control; memory presets for seat position and steering column (power adjustable for rake and reach); a power rear sunshade; and cruise control (Hyundai will add an adaptive feature later).

Our test car had the only option group offered, the $4000 Technology package: 17-speaker audio with an in-dash six-DVD changer, XM satellite radio, an iDrive-style control that’s actually user-friendly, a nav system, HID headlamps, a backup warning camera, driver’s seat cooling, and front and rear park-assist sensors.

You get the idea–lots of the goodies you’d expect of a luxury car, in a handsomely executed interior. Make that handsome and exceptionally roomy. This is a big car by the standards of the class to which it aspires–bigger than any of its target competitors, with interior volume that’s more consistent with cars one size up the scale. Lots of trunk, too–16 cubic feet.

Hyundai has taken pains to make sure the Genesis is as quiet as it is roomy–another page from the Lexus playbook. At a 70-mph cruise, the needle on our sound meter once quivered just below 69 dBA, but we wound up with an average of 70–good but not exceptional. Noise suppression is fine, of course, but how silent should it be? We think a little basso profundo in the exhaust note would enhance the driving experience. To which we’ll return shortly.

Exterior design is obviously critical to a company attempting to invade the prestige ranks, and here again it looks as though Hyundai has followed the Lexus script. Created to invade German turf, the original LS400 was a shameless Mercedes derivative that worked. The Genesis can be perceived as derivative, too, but pinpointing the origin of the derivations provokes debate. Mercedes? BMW? Lexus? The S-class-style grille is eye-catching, and the short front overhang suggests athleticism, but the overall look is a little generic.

BY TONY SWAN
Car and Driver

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Gets Some Performance Cred – Courtesy of Brembo

SEOUL, South Korea — Taking a page from performance giant Porsche, Hyundai said it will offer Brembo brakes as an option on its 2010 Genesis Coupe. The Korean automaker said this is the first Hyundai ever to be fitted with Brembo brakes.

It is yet another step forward for Hyundai, as the company attempts to move away from its value leader image.

The high-performance disc brakes from Brembo will be available as part of an optional track-use performance package on the Genesis Coupe. No word yet on pricing for this option. The Genesis Coupe is set to go on sale in September in Korea, followed by a North American launch in spring 2009.

“By specifying Brembo brakes, we are sending a strong message about the performance capabilities of the Genesis Coupe,” said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, president of Hyundai’s corporate research and development division. “Among car aficionados, Brembo’s oversized caliper design is recognized as one of the hallmarks of a high-performance car. They grab attention and will force people to take a second, closer look at the Genesis Coupe.”

The Genesis Coupe, Hyundai’s rear-wheel-drive sports car, gets an optional performance-tuned 3.8-liter V6 that delivers an estimated 306 horsepower. The base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 that makes an estimated 212 hp.

What this means to you: Those signature red Brembo brakes telegraph a powerful performance message about Hyundai’s intent to improve its stature on the street. — Hoseok Park, Correspondent

A $40,000 Hyundai? Luxuriating in the 2009 Genesis Sedan

Hyundai undercuts Lexus, Infiniti and Mercedes with a luxury car that’ll give car buyers another reason to forget the Korean carmaker’s checkered past

The world has turned upside-down. The US government is the hottest ticket on Wall Street, Cadillac builds European sports sedans, Saab markets SUVs, and now Hyundai makes a $42,000 luxury car. Someone e-mail the Bizarro Justice League, stat.

The 2009 Hyundai Genesis has been a long time coming for the South Korean automaker. Years ago, Hyundai introduced to the American market an ignoble range of economy cars that, unadjusted for inflation, cost the equivalent of pocket lint. It’s a different company now. To mangle a Pink Floyd lyric, 20 odd years may have gotten behind Hyundai Motor America, but it didn’t miss the starting gun.

As it enters a new phase of maturity, Hyundai’s digging in for a fight where it hasn’t before (in the US): luxury sedans. The new Genesis seems a million years from the long-discontinued Excel, a car so awful ConsumerGuide once scored it a 3 out of 10 for materials. These days, according to J.D. Power & Associates, Hyundai’s up there with Acura, Audi and Volvo in overall quality. Say the word Excel to a Hyundai executive now, and you’re more likely to get a spreadsheet than a set of keys.

For the past half-decade, industry watchers have seen Hyundai edging its product line upmarket. In 2004 it launched the Azera, a front-wheel-drive, midsize sedan with shades of Buick. In 2006 it introduced the Veracruz crossover SUV, aimed squarely at the pricier Lexus RX300. This year, the rear-drive Genesis sedan arrives in dealerships. Next year, it’ll be a sports coupe producing 300 horsepower. Maybe after that we’ll see a Hyundai that takes off vertically like a Harrier jet. Who knows.

Not quite what you’d call design-forward, the Genesis is attractive in a familiar way, kind of like actress Julie Bowen (Google, if you must). Midway between the Mercedes S-Class and Infiniti M in appearance, the Genesis’s most distinctive bit is that louvered grille, whose wing-like slats assign a curious organic character to the fascia. Inside, the Genesis offers spacial volume equal to that of a Mercedes S-Class. Interior trimmings are tasteful and corporately austere compared to Lexus’s million-button march.

Where the ancient Excel was as technologically advanced as a Bundt pan, the Genesis is a modern luxury car, riding on a new, rear-drive chassis platform. The allocation of drive wheels to the back immediately applies that unmistakable feel of being pushed, not pulled, distinctive of a true executive car. Suspension tuning tends toward the floaty side of the luxury spectrum, closer to the American and Japanese ideal, rather than that hard-soft meatiness characteristic of German sedans. That’s not to say the Genesis is a flaccid ride–it isn’t, quite. The multilink front and rear suspension combines with a shock-absorber system from ZF Sachs called amplitude-selective damping, which the Genesis shares with the Mercedes C-Class. The all-hydraulic system decreases damping over minor “stimulations” like road imperfections, but increases damping during major loading, as in hard cornering. As a result the 4,000-pound sedan keeps fairly flat-ish in corners while retaining composure over rough roadways.

The electro-hydraulic steering is responsive and offers decent feedback, especially in the V6 model. That car uses a slightly different steering setup than the V8 model, whose steering feels overly processed by comparison. Brakes are an exercise in directness and offer plenty of stopping power for all that weight.

Buyers of the entry-level Genesis model are eligible for the company’s smooth 3.8-liter Lambda V6, producing 290-horsepower, although the company expects 20 percent of buyers to opt for Hyundai’s 4.6-liter Tau V8. The V8, a requirement in the luxury segment, cost Hyundai $260 million to develop and produces a substantial 375 horsepower on premium fuel (368 on regular). Each engine links up with a separate six-speed automatic transmission, the V6’s from Aisin, and the V8’s from ZF. Both serve up- and downshifts as smoothly as warm sour-cream frosting. Maybe not exactly that, but we’ve gone a few sentences without inelegant hyperbole, so there you go.

But luxury cars are about the extra stuff you get, and the Genesis comes with the most requested kit. The Genesis 3.8 V6–starting at $33,000 with $750 freight charge–comes with a raft of expected accouterments: automatic headlights, cruise control, power front seats–eight-way driver and four-way passenger; power tilt and telescoping steering wheel; dual-zone climate control; sunroof; seven-speaker audio system with CD player, XM satellite radio and iPod and auxiliary input jacks; leather; Bluetooth capability; heated front seats, and 17-inch alloys. The Genesis 3.8 turns in EPA mileage figures of 18 mpg city, 27 mpg highway.

The Genesis 4.6 V8–starting at $38,000 with $750 freight charge–adds rain-sensing wipers with auto-defogger windshield; eight-way power passenger seat and driver memory settings; a wood and leather interior trim package; auto-dimming rear view mirror, 15-speaker Lexicon audio system with six-disc CD changer (shared with the Rolls Royce Phantom), power rear sunshade, 18-inch alloys and chrome exterior accents. The Genesis 4.6 is EPA rated at 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway.

Buyers of the V6 can opt for the same features as the V8 by optioning the Premium Package. A Technology Package offered on both models includes cooled driver’s seat; adaptive headlights with auto leveling; front and rear park assist, Lexicon 17-speaker audio system, 6-disc in-dash DVD changer navigation system, XM NavTraffic real-time traffic service; multimedia controller, and a backup camera.

Although brand-conscious buyers will likely steer clear of the Hyundai lot for now, the economic woes of late may work in the company’s favor, bringing in new buyers looking to scale back their free-spending ways. And of course, any Wall Streeter whose paycheck is now signed by Uncle Sam should get a thumbs-up from We the People if they ditch their German iron and show up at work in one.